Jean-Louis Courtinat “See puudutab meid kõiki”

It is easy to think that illness, poverty, loneliness, old age or exclusion affect someone else. That there is an invisible boundary between them and us. The work of acclaimed French photographer Jean-Louis Courtinat refuses to recognise that boundary.

For Courtinat, a photograph is born from a relationship. He may spend weeks or months with people before raising his camera, and often remains in touch long after the photographic project has ended. He shows not only those receiving care, but also carers, medical professionals and volunteers – people whose gazes, touch and presence make visible the threads that connect us to one another.

Working within the French tradition of social and humanist photography, Courtinat was Robert Doisneau’s assistant from 1987 to 1994. His work has been honoured with the Prix Niépce and the Visa d’or des Solidarités, and is held in several of France’s major photographic collections.